Research Methods & Treatment

Question 1

The following questions are about what?:

• How does stress relate to the development of mental disorders?
• Do some disorders have stronger genetic components than others?

Answer 1

Etiology

Question 2

The following questions are about what?:

• What symptoms best characterize different disorders?
• How are disorders similar to and different from each other?

Answer 2

Diagnosis

Question 3

The following questions are about what?:

• What is the most effective treatment for a specific order?
• How do different types of treatment compare to each other?

Answer 3

Treatment

Question 4

What kind of studies refer to the commonality of psychiatric disorders?

Answer 4

Epidemiology Studies

Question 5

What are Epidemiology Studies?

Answer 5

They are studies measuring the prevalence and incidence of a disorder in a population. (can help identify risk factors)

Question 6

What is Incidence?

Answer 6

of cases emerging in a given period of time

Question 7

What is Prevalence?

Answer 7

Total cases in a population in a given period of time

Question 8

What kind of study is an Epidemiological study?

Answer 8

A descriptive study. (describing without trying to predict or explain)

Question 9

What is a Hypothesis?

Answer 9

A testable prediction that certain variables are related in certain ways. (a hypothesis can be broken down into two rival hypothesis statements)

Question 10

What is a Null Hypothesis?

Answer 10

Prediction that no significant relationship exists

Question 11

What is an Alternative Hypothesis?

Answer 11

Prediction that a significant relationship does exist

Question 12

What are the 3 primary methods of investigation/studies used in psychopathology?

Answer 12

• Case studies
• Correlation method
• Experimental method

Question 13

What is a Case Study?

Answer 13

Detailed description of a person’s life and psychological problems. (allows us to study unusual phenomena)

Question 14

What are the downsides of a case study?

Answer 14

• It can potentially be misleading (may be the exception and not the rule)
• There can be clinician bias

Question 15

What are the limitations of a Case Study?

Answer 15

• Internal validity

- External Validity

Question 16

What is Internal Validity?

Answer 16

The accuracy with which a study can pin point one factor as the cause of a phenomenon. (ruling out all possible causes except for one)

Question 17

What is External Validity?

Answer 17

The degree to which the results of a study may be generalized beyond that study.

Question 18

What is Correlation?

Answer 18

The degree to which events or characteristics vary along with each other.

Question 19

What is the measure of the direction and strength of a correlation?

Answer 19

Correlation Coefficient (signified by the letter “r” and ranges from -1 to +1)

Question 20

What is Positive Correlation?

Answer 20

When x increases, Y increases

Question 21

What is Negative Correlation?

Answer 21

When x increases, Y decreases

Question 22

How can we determine whether a finding is likely or unlikely to be due to chance?

Answer 22

Significance Testing (finding p-value)

Question 23

What does the P-value represent?

Answer 23

The probability of obtaining that result if the null hypothesis were true.

Question 24

What is the rule of thumb when it comes to the P-value?

Answer 24

If p<0.05, then we can be confident that the findings reflect the true relationship in the larger population.

Question 25

What is the Third-Variable Problem?

Answer 25

A casual relationship between two variables cannot be inferred from a naturally occurring correlation because of the ever present possibility of a third variable correlation.

Question 26

What is an Experiment?

Answer 26

A research procedure in which a variable is manipulated (independent variable) and the effect of the manipulation is observed. (looks at causality)

Question 27

What is Manipulation?

Answer 27

Creating an artificial pattern of variation in a variable to determine its causal powers. (we know what caused the variation because we did)

Question 28

What is the Independent Variable?

Answer 28

The variable that is manipulated in the experiment.

Question 29

What is the Dependent Variable?

Answer 29

The Variable that is measured in a study/experiment.

Question 30

What are Confounding Variables?

Answer 30

-Variables other than the independent variable that also act on the dependent variable. (Irrelevant to the hypothesis, but can alter a researcher’s conclusions)

Question 31

What are 3 ways to reduce confounding variables?

Answer 31

• Control groups
• Random assignment
• Blinding